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Konftel Conference Phones,Sleek and modern quality products that use OmniSound audio technology to conduct conference call meetings around the world.

Konftel 300W - Wireless DECT Conference Phone with OmniSoun

Conducting meetings with key staff members and executives is too important to avoid. Having that meeting in this digital civilization is vital. These days everything is instant and can be done with a click of a button. From the convenience of microwave popcorn to a favorite app on a cell phone, information, communication and daily life interactions are done at the blink of an eye.

Communication networks come in all forms today and a lot of them don’t even require that a person speaks verbally and meeting with people via the Internet or social media is now a common phenomenon.
However, to conduct a productive business meeting, most companies still use the methods of either face to face conference room meetings or a conference call type system. The latter is used when all parties involved cannot be at the same place at the same time, but need to communicate and trade business ideas and strategies. Productive meeting sessions are the life blood of business growth and always will be.

Telcom & Data introduces Konftel Conference Phones, a leading company supplying audio conferencing solutions allowing people to conduct meetings no matter where they are in the world. Quality products that use OmniSound audio technology to ensure a crisp sound every time a business needs it. Wireless conference phones with tremendous flexibility and sleek Scandinavian designs with no need for phone lines and power outlets.

So tell them, let’s talk business with an international meeting of the minds on Konftel Conference phones.

Konftel Conference Phones are now available at Telcom & Data. For more information about Konftel Conference Phones, visit Telcom & Data’s website or call 1-800-335-0229.

Avaya Phone System Maintenance Support and Service

If you have purchased an AT&T, Lucent or Avaya manufactured phone system or voice mail system you might have also had a maintenance agreement. The maintenance agreement could have been from AT&T, Lucent Expanets or now Avaya. Avaya purchased Expanets in 2003.

Chances are if your phone system is passed it’s prime Avaya may have discontinued or limited the scope of Maintenance Services for your phone system. Once Avaya has declared "end of life," "end of service," "end of support," "manufacture discontinue" or similar designation ("End of Support") you were pretty much out of luck in getting your system serviced by Avaya. However you can still receive expert support from Telcom & Data. Telcom & Data offers maintenance services for most AVAYA end of support products.

Systems that we still support and maintain include:

Definity PBX All Versions
Merlin Legend
Merlin Magix
Merlin 410, 820, 10/30 30/70
Spirit 308/616 and 12/24
System 25 and 75.
Merlin Mail
Merlin Messaging
Audix
Intuity Audix

If your company still has one of these systems and you require a service maintenance agreement or a certified technician call Telcom & Data at 800-335-0229. Service calls start at only $ 125.00 per hour with only a one hour minimum. To receive a fast maintenance quote click here. http://www.telcom-data.com/phone-maintenance.aspx

Polycom, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCM), one of the world's leading providers of unified collaborative communications solutions, today announced an expansion of its relationship with Microsoft to include compatibility between Polycom's industry-leading visual communications solutions and Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007.Polycom currently offers a broad portfolio of integrated high definition (HD) voice and visual communications solutions, including telepresence, for Microsoft unified communications platform, including a complete line of phones designed specifically for Office Communications Server 2007.
"Our expanded integration with Office Communications Server 2007 supports Polycom's VC2 strategy that moves customers from traditional video conferencing to tightly integrated visual communications solutions that are simpler to use and manage and deliver a better user experience," said Joe Sigrist, senior vice president and general manager of video solutions at Polycom. "Polycom's solutions work with Office Communications Server 2007 and will allow users to launch HD voice, video and telepresence calls intuitively using the contact list within Microsoft Office Communicator 2007, presence-enabled Microsoft applications and on Polycom video endpoints. It will also give IT managers a tightly integrated solution that can be easily deployed and effectively managed within their Microsoft unified communications environment."

"Delivering the next generation of communications requires high impact solutions that work across a customer's infrastructure," said Eric Swift, senior director, Unified Communications Group, at Microsoft Corp. "Polycom's delivery of voice and video solutions for Office Communications Server 2007 expands the reach of audio and video conferencing to the broader organization so information workers can connect and collaborate beyond the conference room walls."

Polycom endpoints and infrastructure will connect to Office Communications Server 2007 using the session initiation protocol (SIP) and will allow seamless video calling with desktop video collaboration applications, high definition (HD) visual communications endpoints and telepresence solutions, providing users with powerful, one-click video collaboration within Microsoft unified communications platform either from a contact list, as an escalation of an instant messaging session, or as part of a communications enabled business process. Making optimal use of the Microsoft unified communications platform, Polycom's integration will also enhance the customer's ability to deploy video communication seamlessly and securely across corporate boundaries.

Polycom solutions will register, authenticate and share presence information with Office Communications Server 2007, allowing users in the Office Communications Server 2007 network to see the presence status of Polycom video endpoints, for example on their Office Communicator 2007 client or on a presence-enabled IP phone. Users of Polycom video endpoints will also see the presence status of others users in the Office Communications Server 2007 domain. This integration makes it simple for users to launch video calls by clicking on presence-enabled contacts. Polycom will also include visual communications solutions supporting Microsoft RT Video codec and RT Audio codec technologies, will allow users to schedule voice and video conferences within Microsoft Office Outlook, and will enable users to launch unified voice and/or video conferences. The solution will also allow users to connect with other standards-based video conferencing endpoints at the highest quality possible (including HD) and join users with different device types (voice, video) on different networks (i.e. IP, ISDN, PSTN) in the same call.

In addition to video solutions, Polycom offers a broad line of phones optimized for Office Communicator 2007, which includes the CX 700 desktop IP phone, CX 200 desktop phone and CX 100 personal speakerphone. The phones deliver crystal-clear, high definition wideband audio and provide full, convenient access to the advanced presence-enabled features of the Office Communicator 2007.

For More Information on Polycom products call Ricardo Trinidad at 800-335-0229 x 152. Or visit us on line at www.polycom-products.com

Polycom, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLCM), the world’s leading provider of unified collaborative communications solutions, today announced general availability of new Polycom HDX high definition (HD) video collaboration solutions, including the HDX 8000™ series for medium and small-sized meeting rooms, and the HDX 4000™ executive desktop system for the personal workspace. The new endpoints are best in class additions to the industry-leading HDX line and offer the only UltimateHD™ experience in their categories. Only solutions from Polycom deliver UltimateHD, the complete HD experience with HD video, HD voice and simultaneous HD content-sharing capabilities.
“The face-to-face experience using Polycom HDX video collaboration solutions is extremely effective and has brought our geographically dispersed teams closer and improved productivity,” said Sergio Soto, video teleconferencing supervisor at CoStar, a leading commercial real estate information company. “Video communications has become a critical collaboration tool for CoStar in many areas, and played a key role in the successful expansion of our operations from the U.S. into Europe, by enabling our teams to work closely despite the distance between them. The new HDX 8000 and HDX 4000 solutions will help us further expand the use of video at CoStar into additional meeting rooms, locations and executive offices.”

The HDX 8000 and HDX 4000 series complement the Polycom HDX 9000™ video conferencing solution for large meeting rooms, classrooms and integrated custom-room environments, and expand the industry’s only integrated and complete HD video collaboration portfolio, including HD video endpoints and systems, HD telepresence and immersive HD telepresence solutions, HD conferencing bridges, HD recording, streaming and playback systems (for both video and content), HD video content management, and integrated Polycom HD Voice endpoints. To assist customers deploying HD video conferencing, Polycom Global Services offers a comprehensive suite of HD Readiness services through channel partners -- from planning and design to evaluating and optimizing HD video performance on existing networks to standard maintenance, training and service options.

Additionally, all Polycom HDX video collaboration solutions now ship with HDX Version 2.0 software that features patent-pending Lost Packet Recovery (LPR) technology with breakthrough QoS for IP networks. LPR maximizes the quality of video, voice and content under tough network conditions common to public IP networks where packet loss and congestion are common. HDX Version 2.0 makes video conferencing more viable for home office workers, remote offices and field applications by providing the most consistent, highest-quality experience over DSL connections, cable modems, and more.

For more information on Polycom's new HD line of conferencing systems call Ricardo Trinidad at 800-335-0229 ext 152

Plantronics has released and is shipping some very nice new Bluetooth headsets. The Voyager line has expanded by 3 and the Discovery line has discontinued the 640e and replaced it with the 650e.

New Voyager headsets include the 520 the 815 and the 855.

The 520 and the 815 are all day comfort and have 8 and 7 hours (respectively) of talk time on a single charge. They have multipoint so they can both pair with multiple bluetooth devices. I have used them and they have excellent sound. The 815 has a telescoping boom that makes for clearer conversations and also serves to answer and end the call, which is very handy.

The Voyager 855 is same design as the 815 but with an added ear bud for listening to music. Please Note: It will only work if your (smart) phone has the A2DP profile which streams music wirelessly over a bluetooth connection. If you don’t have that profile you cannot listen to music on your bluetooth headset. You’ll have to check with your carrier to see if your phone has the A2DP profile.

If your company has a new headset roll out coming up and would like to evaluate our products to establish headset standards at your company please contact me. Evaluation units are available for that purpose.

Call or contact

Ricardo Trinidad 800-335-0229 ext 152 or visit us on line at www.telcom-headsets.com

The Plantronics M22 Audio Processors “formerly known as” the M12 or M22 Headset Amplifiers because they do so much more than just amplify the sound. They always have, we just forgot. This fact became apparent to me the other day in a live test in a contact center that was using direct connect cables on their VoIP phones and experiencing different types of audio issues. All of them were cleared up with the installation of an Audio Processor (amplifier) and there are added benefits that I’ll explain below. You should read this if you are connected to a Contact Center in any way. If you are not, please forward it to them. They might thank you!

Please note this article pertains to corded headsets. NOT wireless headsets. Wireless headsets have the Processor built in.

A little history. Years ago all phones needed an amplifier to make a headset work because phones were not wired for headsets. So everyone who needed a headset got an amplifier and the audio quality was excellent. Newer phones, most notably VoIP phones, were then designed with a jack for a headset that was wired to allow users to plug one in with a cable instead of an amp and save money! These phones have the amp built in so why buy one, right?

The reality is that although those phones do have rudimentary amplifiers built in, they just provide the rewiring necessary to make a headset work and add little value beyond that. If you are using a direct connect cable with your headset on a VoIP phone you know what I mean. If you are running a Contact Center using direct connect cables you really know what I’m talking about. In the Contact Center the deficits of the built in amp are magnified over all the agents and the cost of this money-saving solution becomes very apparent.

Issue number one is volume levels; the “amplification” provided by the amp. You don’t have very much control over that with a cable. You can turn up the volume on the phone but sometimes that’s not enough. Turning up the phone volume also turns up any hiss that is on the line along with the call volume. What if the person on the other end says you sound too low to them? No solution for that with a cable. What about a 3 way call where one caller’s volume is low and the other high? What can you do about that if you only have a volume button on the phone? What about acoustic shock? That’s a very loud noise that comes unexpectedly. It can happen over the phone. Fax machines, white noise, audio feedback etc. can all create sound spikes that hurt your ears. What does a phone amp and a direct connect cable do to protect people from this painful risk? Nothing. What about echo? That can happen on a VoIP system where the voice traffic is running over the data lines. VoIP phone HAND-sets are designed to reduce echo. No help here if you use a headset with a cable. The fact is that these are very real issues and they can all be solved with an Audio Processor.

Solving problems is great and in itself justification for the added expense of an Audio Processor but can we add other benefits as well? What if the Audio Processor automatically reduced the transmit volume (agent’s voice level) when the agent was not speaking thus complementing the noise canceling mike making it even more effective. The M22 does that. Can we do anything to actually increase call clarity and make it even better than the best handset conversation? We can! The Audio Processor moves the tonal range of the conversation up an octave. That’s like turning up the treble a little. Why? Because the human ear perceives sound in this range more clearly than it does in the mid or lower tonal range and that improves intelligibility. The person using an Audio Processor will understand the caller better and that can save time and reduce errors! Does it sound tinny? At first maybe. After 5 minutes, no.

What is the big problem with the Audio Processor? It costs more than a cable. “Holy Acoustic Shock, Batman! You mean these benefits come at a price? What about the budget??!!”

What about the budget? This is a very real problem too. All businesses encounter it whenever they want to spend more than a few dollars. Luckily most businesses are in the business of making money so anything that either makes them more or saves them some has a pretty good chance of being approved if the business case is strong. In fact the stronger the business case the faster the project will be funded because the organization will recognize that every minute of delay will result in lost revenue or unnecessary cost. (Businesses are so logical.)

So the problem becomes making the business case for the Audio Processor so that those in charge of the purse strings clearly understand the cost of not having them. Below are some ideas for making a strong case.

Due to the benefits described above Audio Processors save money by:

Improving productivity by reducing the length of the call. If the agent or the customer don’t have to ask each other to repeat what they said, the call will be shorter. How many seconds shorter? 5, 10, 20 seconds shorter? Multiply that by the number of calls per day then by the number of agents = hours saved per day/week/month/year = surprisingly high $$$. Shorter average call lengths mean each agent can handle one or two more calls per day multiplied by the number of agents and maybe you don’t need that additional headcount…
Reducing data input errors due to poor call clarity. What is the cost of an error? That depends on the business and on the error of course. If you track error rates and have an average cost this one is easy. If not, a little effort should result in a justifiable average like $25 per error. Just one error saved per agent per month can justify the investment in Audio Processors.
Eliminating any potential medical costs associated with hearing damage caused by acoustic shock. It can’t happen with an Audio Processor which reduces loud noises to safe levels in 6 milliseconds.
Reducing turnover. Let’s face it, if you were on the phone all day and the audio experience was less than completely comfortable and there was nothing you could do to improve it and you were shocked by loud noises occasionally and your boss was complaining about your error rate, you might look for a new job too.
Audio Processors make money by:

Saving it! See above.

Improving the customer experience because they can hear and be heard with no effort. If the audio experience is unpleasant due to low volume or loud background noise, customers will be dissatisfied with the experience and the company.
Reducing turnover, thus providing an experienced agent who is more able to maximize the revenue potential and/or improve customer satisfaction than a new employee.

So what can Plantronics do to help? How about a Promotion? It’s called the M22 12 pack trade up! Buy 12 M22 Audio Processors and get your choice of 3 more M22s or 1 Supra Plus Wireless unit if turn in 12 of your old cables or headset/amplifier combos.

By Bob Shay

Call Telcom & Data at 800-335-0229 for your Plantronics Headset needs! or visit us online at www.telcom-headsets.com

Emergency Message Notification is still a fairly new concept and many schools and companies are making the same mistake by determining that text messaging is enough during an emergency. Text Messaging is only one avenue of communications and only one part of successful emergency management resolution.
The very first action should be group alerting to first responders. First responders can be security, police, fire, medical and other emergency services. An emergency conference with first responders provides valuable assessment of the situation. This is the number one key ingredient to insure a correct course of action. With out proper assessment inaccurate information can be broadcasted leading to further problems and endangerment of public safety. Misinformation sent could have dire consequences and even shift a burden of responsibility to the sender of the information.

Once a proper assessment is done, better and more accurate information can be sent via TEXT, SMS, Paging System, Screen Pops, Reader Boards and Reverse 911 blast dialing for much broader notification coverage. An open line of communications between all first responders can insure that everyone understands what is unfolding. If events change during an emergency newer information can be sent.

Triggering of a group alert should be as easy as making a phone call. Specific alerts such as weather, fire, crime related, or medical emergency such be able to instantly contact pre-determined emergency groups.

After an emergency a reporting feature would be able to to allow check in of personnel. Reports can be generated to see who successfully was reached. An audio recording of the emergency should also be available to help investigate the incident.

If your school or company is considering an emergency notification system make sure the following features are in place to ensure the successful emergency resolution.

Automatic Group Alerting of an emergency via a phone call or mouse click with text to voice capabilities
Emergency Conference of first responders for accurate assessment.
Emergency Message Notification simultaneously via, Text, SMS, Paging System, Screen Pops, and Reader Boards.
Reporting of all successful and unsuccessful notifications.
Recording of all emergency conferencing parties for follow up investigations.
Information Only Type Mailboxes to allow for update information for outside callers.
RSS feeds to deliver up to the minute on weather, amber alert, and other emergency information feeds.

If your school or company is considering an Emergency Message Notification system and woud like additional information or help please call Ricardo Trinidad with Telcom & Data Inc.at 800-335-0229 ext 152

Does your company's business continuity or emergency response plan include a system for emergency notification and collaboration? Every company needs a BCP or Business Continuity Plan most companies have them but a critical piece is usually missing. Does your company have an emergency management tool that would enable your company to instantly pull key members of your executive staff or emergency first responders in to an emergency conference call? Fast assessment and constant communications are the keys to limiting exposure, improving response and speeding communications.

What happens in an emergency? Usually a call occurs notifying someone of the situation. Depending on the situation help is called shortly after. Calls are made subsequently to reach others for help or consultation. Assessments are made and additional help maybe dispatched. In a large emergency many calls need to be made. Time is crucial for everyone involved and fast reliable communications is needed. How fast can an assessment be made and a plan of action rolled out? When disaster strikes every second counts.

How does your company get in touch with its first responders during an emergency? Whose responsibility is it to call first responders? Does this person carry a list? How does management stay in constant communications with first responders? During an emergency decisions are made on the fly who made them can how will you know who said what?

After an emergency has been assessed how does your company notify workers of the situation? How can workers report their status to the company? Are your workers OK? Can they report back to work? How do you contact your workers?

If you are having trouble answering some of these questions you are not alone. Telcom & Data has partnered with Cooper Wheelock and XOP Networks and implemented emergency notification systems for some of the largest companies as well as government and military installations. We can help your company develop a custom solution to help limit loss in an emergency. If you would like to learn more about our products and services feel free to call us at 800-335-0229.

How IP technology can help your office reduce energy consumption and improve profitability has just gotten simpler.

As many companies struggle to cut costs and look for inexpensive alternative energy options, advances in IP technology are making the decision to "go green" easier.

Integrated voice and data PRI and T1 circuits, coupled with increased competition, are driving the cost of data and high speed Internet access down. Lower costs are enabling countless companies to take advantage of a host of IP technologies and solutions that can help reduce emissions and overhead.

After 9/11, there was a spike in video conferencing system sales as travel concerns rose among companies and their employees. Expensive ISDN circuits were the primary component in many of these existing systems. Since then, companies like Polycom have improved IP-based options. As the cost of both video conferencing and high speed Internet access continue to fall, video conferencing systems are being used more extensively than ever.

VoIP telephony is another prime example of how firms can reduce energy consumption. Telecommuting is fast becoming one of the most desired and cost-effective employee perks. Using an IP phone has a wide range of benefits, from reducing energy consumption and stress, to providing more family time for workers. There is a significant return on investment associated with VoIP telephony.

VoIP technology allows you to harness the benefits of your company's phone system remotely. Dialing from your office's phone lines, transferring calls, checking voicemail, along with intercom and conference calling are all typical system features needed to work successfully from home.

VoIP enabled phone systems offer the most flexibility. Pure IP-based phone sets provide the functionality of an office in a home setting that can be used for customer service, sales support, or even day-to-day administration. A SoftPhone is essentially software that is loaded onto laptops for a mobile IP phone solution. Add a wireless card and be connected to your office from any Starbucks or other wireless hotspot. A USB headset allows you access to the office and intercom functions, permits paging and dialing out, and the transfer and receipt of calls all while sipping a Grande Latte. Do you have a "road warrior" in your office? Check out Avaya's affordable IP Office System that delivers powerful system features for configurations ranging from 2 phones to 360 phones.

VoIP can be added easily and affordably to an existing phone system. There are two unique solutions. The first, (MCK), allows connectivity of proprietary digital sets. The second, (Multitech), enables you to connect any analog phone from a home or remote office back to the system through any available analog station port.

Teleconferencing is another technology that reduces the need to travel. From monthly board meetings to remote employee training sessions, conference calling systems allow meetings to be held in a "virtual" setting. Costs associated with this option, though much cheaper than face-to-face meetings, can still prove expensive. An in-house system can reduce costs to as little as $0.02 per minute. Many systems include web conferencing choices that utilize additional features and promote more extensive user interaction.

The bottom line is that IP technology is available to help reduce carbon emissions and travel costs. For more information on how your company can take advantage of IP technology, contact Telcom & Data at 800-335-0229.

From the desk of

Ricardo Trinidad

The Cook County Board of Commissioners has proposed a new tax of $48 per phone per line year, could increase phone rates much as 131%! The proposed tax would apply to every phone line – even to every fax line, cell phone and DSL or Broad band line. The new proposed tax would also increase every year at the rate of inflation. This means that in five years, the total tax would be more than $250 per phone! If passed, this tax would hit the pocketbooks of all consumers and businesses in Cook County IL.

If this tax passes business circuits including integrated voice and data T1and PRI circuits could become more attractive then ever. A T1 or PRI can deliver as many as 24 channels (lines) on a single circuit. The tax would be $ 4.00. The cost for the typical Chicago area business with 5 lines would go up as much as $ 1,260.00

Creating a new phone tax – on top of the many federal, state and local taxes that consumers already pay for each phone line – is not the answer.

For more information on the tax go to http://www.nophonetax.org/about.php